JD(U) releases 2nd Bihar list; fields all 101 candidates

THe Janata Dal (United) on th released its indorse lean of 44 candidates to nail the fine distribution on all of its 101 seats as chief minister Nitish Kumar headed for Samastipur and Darbhanga to kick off the party’s poll campaign for the upcoming Bihar assembly elections.Alongside the JD(U), the Lok Janshakti Party (Ram Vilas) declared 15 candidates and Upendra Kushwaha’s Rashtriya Lok Manch announced two candidates, With this, the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) has named its candidates on all 243 seats even as the Opposition’s Grand Alliance is yet to announce even its seat-sharing arrangement.The last day for filing of nominations for the first phase of elections on November 6, when 121 seats go to the polls, is Friday. The second phase is on November 11 and the votes will be counted on November 14. Kumar is aiming for a fifth consecutive term.The JD(U)’s second list contained six ministers and 17sitting lawmakers, fiveturncoats and 27fresh faces. It dropped threelegislators and accommodated the sons or daughters of threeleaders.The second list of the JD(U) included four Muslims -- minister Jama Khan from Chainpur, Saba Zafar from Amour, Manzar Alam from Jokihat and Shagufta Azeem from Araria. The first list of 57 candidates did not have any Muslim face. This is the lowest number of Muslims fielded by the JD(U) in 20years. In 2020, the JD(U) gave tickets to 11 Muslims, but none of them won.The list contained nine women --- sitting MLA Shalini Mishra (Kesaria), Shweta Gupta (Sheohar), Meena Kamat (Babybarhi), minister Sheela Mandal (Phulparas), Sonam Rani Sardaar (Triveniganj), minister Leshi Singh (Dhamdaha), Manorama Devi (Belaganj), Vibha Devi (Nawada) and Shagufta Azeem (Araria).The second list had 14 seats to other backward classes, 13 to extremely backward classes, 15 to scheduled castes and one to scheduled tribes. Upper castes got 22 seats, with the maximum 10 going to Rajputs, nine to Bhumihars, two to Brahmins and one to Kayasth. From Karakat, which the Bharatiya Janata Party lost in 2020 to Communist Party of India-Marxist Leninist , JD(U) fielded former MP and minister Mahabali Singh. He is seen as a powerful Kushwaha leader in the Shahabad region.JD(U) fielded Shubhanand Mukesh, son of former Bihar Congress chief Sadanand Singh, from Kahalgaon, a seat held by the BJP. Rituraj Kumar, son of former MP Arun Kumar, who joined JD(U) this month, was fielded from Ghosi, while Chetan Anand, son of don-turned-politician Anand Mohan Singh, was shifted to Nabinagar from Sheohar seat, from where he contested which he fought in 2020.Vibha Devi, who switched over to JD(U) from the RJD last week, was fielded from Nawada. She is the wife of former RJD lawmaker Rajballabh Yadav, who could not contest the 2020 polls due to his then conviction in a rape case. He was acquitted by the Patna high court on August 14.“NDA has released its full list of candidates, while others are still struggling and even have partial one. This shows where they stand and how much contradictions they are carrying with themselves. People will give the NDA a big mandate yet again to continue the developmental journey of Bihar under Nitish Kunar,” said JD(U) working president Sanjay Kumar Jha.He also attacked the INDIA bloc for trying to mislead the masses by distributing symbols. “And people are watching their choice of candidates, with the incarcerated Reetlal Yadav fielded from Danapur and Md Shahabuddin’s son from Siwan. It has sent the message that they can never change their spots,” he added.